Huron County OPP are reminding all drivers to once again think about school bus safety now that the school year has begun.
It has been a while since drivers may have encountered school buses on the road but the laws have not changed and it’s time to start paying attention and to stop for all school buses on the road.
Just the second week into the school year and the Huron County OPP have already received several complaints about driving failing to stop for stopped school buses.
In fact on Monday, September 13, 2021 Huron OPP charged a 77 year old driver with failing to stop as well as a 24 year old driver was charged when she failed to stop for a school bus on Huron Road.
In both instances young children were preparing to load onto the bus when the vehicles passed by at highway speeds.
Police remind drivers that when driving on a road WITHOUT a median:
- Drivers travelling in both directions must stop for a stopped school bus with its upper red lights flashing and/or stop arm activated
- When you approach the bus from the front, stop at a safe distance to let children get on or off the bus and cross the road
- Don’t move forward until the red lights have stopped flashing and the stop arm is no longer activated or the bus begins to move
When driving on a road WITH a median:
- Traffic coming from the opposite direction is not required to stop.
Vehicle owners need to be aware that if the driver can’t be identified the owner will be charged for the offence provided the license plate number is obtained by a witness.
The fines are from between $400 to $2000 for a first offence and subsequent convictions may be fined $1000 to $4000, receive imprisonment or both.
There are also 6 demerit points levied on a drivers license and possible jail time of up to 6 months.
